Ed Barnes

2nd Vice President
Membership Chair

For many years the family and I were party crashers, enjoying many Songmaker campouts, hoots, etc. We have made so many wonderful friends and I thank all of you for that. I officially joined Songmakers only a few short years ago. My musical abilities are limited to that of professional audience and my shamans drum. I sing a little but always in the key of left-out.

In late 2011 I was informed there was a need for new blood on the board as several members had decided it was time to move on. I decided after all I had received from this wonderful club, it was time to give something back. I had hoped to quietly serve in little background activities however that didn't quite work out. I was "informed" of the need for a new membership chair person and that "I would" run for that position. Well, here I am, and I hope to serve you well.
Thank you, Ed

2014

Louise "Weezie" Dobbs

Treasurer

Louise Dobbs was born in east L.A. (Boyle Heights) and has lived in Venice/Santa Monica for the last 30 years. Louise loves singing and many kinds of music including Folk, Old Country, Old-Timey, Cowboy, Bluegrass, Classic Rock and Roll, and last, but definitely not least, African pop. She loves A Cappella singing too, is a member of a 5-person A Cappella group called A Cappella Jam, and leads singing jams in Santa Monica. She loves Songmakers and has been a devoted member since 1992. Since 1996 she has served as Songmakers' Treasurer and she regularly leads the West LA Hoot. She is also a member of the California Traditional Music Society and the Santa Monica Folk Traditional Music Club. Her latest endeavor is memorizing at least one song per week! Her hobbies include walking and fitness, spirituality, reading and movies.

2013

David Gilman

Recording Secretary

Dave has been a musician since he picked up a guitar at age nine. He continued with a variety of instruments through concert bands, orchestras, theater productions, chamber ensembles, klezmer, rock, and western bands ever since. Primarily a concert clarinetist, he doubles on flute, saxophones, guitar, violin, viola, and voice. He loves and plays all kinds of music and teaches as well. Dave discovered Songmakers through the website in 2009 and has been hooked ever since. He's a regular at the Orange County hoot but can be seen at other hoots when time and traffic allow. When working, he's a Certified Public Accountant with experience in financial accounting and auditing in a variety of industries. He has also served on several boards of directors of not-for-profit entities in the arts. Dave is really excited to serve on the Board and do more with Songmakers.

2014

GARY LYNCH found us in 1989, then promptly moved away for eight years - but never missed a campout! He first joined the board in 1997. He was 2nd Vice President/Membership Chair for a couple of years and President for a couple of years. He originated our web site, the E-Chord, and the Kenney Grove spring and fall campouts. After a subsequent hiatus from the board, he rejoined in March 2008, reprising his role as 2nd VP/Membership Chair before taking over as the editor of the Bard Chord. Gary enjoys Songmakers' supportive rather than competitive environment and the genuine fondness we all feel for each other. He believes we should also share our music with those in the community whose spirits need uplifting. He sings and plays guitar, harmonica, ukulele and bass. Gary is a native Southern Californian who has also lived in Maryland, Oregon, Hawaii and the Bay Area. He is a Vietnam veteran and retired software engineer with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cal State Long Beach. Gary met Kathy through Songmakers, and they were married in 1999. They have a collective "Brady Bunch" of two sons and two daughters, with eleven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Gary enjoys spending weekends with Kathy at their cabin in Pine Cove, travelling, wine tasting, gourmet cooking, camping, and anything computer related. Gary and Kathy are also the hosts of the Camarillo Café Concert Series (www.CamarilloCafé.com).

Gary Lynch

Bard Chord Editor

2014

Sally first sang harmony as a little kid while her dad drove the family through Indiana farmland in search of cool air and ice cream. Though she was in plays and musicals in high school and college, she switched from Theater major to English/Creative Writing when she moved to L.A. She's been a member of one writing group or another for almost twenty years, and was a PEN Emerging Voices Fellow. She's had stories, poetry, articles and photography published along the way and has kept a blog at www.anygivensundry.com since 2005. She also loves hiking, reading, gardening, cooking, yoga, Zumba, most of her job as a TV/film script researcher, and hanging out at coffee houses and all night diners.

She and her favorite (and only) husband, Dana, joined the organization in 1998. They both know that the support and experience gained through Songmakers has helped them become more confident singers (and player in Dana's case). Sally still sings with her family--sometimes in public--during visits to her Hoosier homeland but credits Songmakers with making SoCal feel like home too. Though she's thrilled to ham it up in front of a crowd, Sally's favorite place is still the virtual back seat, singing harmonies late into the night at the campouts.

Sally Charette

Corresponding Secretary

2014

I have been a member of Songmakers for over 30 years. I have spent most of them serving on the Board in various capacities. I am currently the Historian and host of the Board meetings. Professionally, I have been a music teacher for 35 years and am currently teaching music full time at The Help Group, a non-public school for children with autism spectrum disorders. I also give private guitar and recorder lessons in my home. Since 1975 I have produced Noble House Concerts, a concert venue featuring acoustic music. I also play in a Klezmer Band called Shir Madness.

Barbara Greenspan

Historian

2013

Simon Lucas

Election Chair

I have enjoyed music all my life. My father played piano and organ, I learned guitar and flute! I left England in 1983 and arrived in California some 11 hours later. I have been here ever since! I was introduced to Songmakers in 1985 and have served on the Board almost constantly since. I had a Hoot at my house for some years. I also edited the Bard Chord for a while. I usually play guitar and sing English songs, but have been known to play dulcimer. I am an avid instrument collector, most of which I cannot play and some of which I do not recognize! I played bass for the Heart of England Folk Group, but that was in another life!

2013

Audrey Goodman

Hoot Liaison

Audrey Goodman has been a music educator in Southern California for the last 25 years. She’s developed and implemented music curriculum for Pre K-5, and teaches private music instruction on piano, guitar and various sizes of C and F recorders. She’s also a published composer and songwriter (Mother Mode Music - ASCAP), and rumour has it, a half decent English Morris dancer too.

2014

Jackie Morris has been a member of SongMakers since 2002. A native New Yorker, her love of folk music began at age 13, when her guitar teacher played her a recording by Leadbelly. By her senior year in high school, Jackie started writing her own songs and, in college, she landed a weekend gig playing in a college bar. But a writing career in publishing and advertising, and the demands of raising a daughter, led to a long hiatus in her playing.

By the time she picked up the guitar again, decades later, she was terrified of performing in public. SongMakers was directly responsible for helping her overcome those fears, providing the unconditional support, encouragement, and camaraderie that is the hallmark of this organization.

Today, ten years later, Jackie has produced three albums of original music, the last of which ("Tell Me a Story") was among Top Albums of 2011 on the Folk Music Radio Airplay Charts. She can also be heard on Pandora. So, it is with a deep sense of gratitude and loyalty that she serves on the SongMakers' Board.

Jackie Morris

Publicity Chair

2014

I joined Songmakers in 1981 having heard about the club from a woman with whom I was taking an oil painting class. She was going to a "HOOT" that night, at Phee and Ken's house, in Sherman Oaks. I arrived at 8:00, and quietly sat in the back, just listening. Now some MIGHT say that this was the very LAST TIME I EVER sat quietly in the back, but...I was barely able to play the guitar, but I loved to sing, and soon was learning all those wonderful folky songs, meeting great people, and sharing in the wonderful world of Songmakers. One thing led to another, and for a few years became a member of a band called "Green River" with some fellow Songmakers, particularly Eva and John McFadyen. Over the years I have served as a board member, and look forward to serving this coming term. Thank you Songmakers for a great 27 years!

Patty Quintana

Director

2014

Kathy Lynch

Director

Kathy is past President of Songmakers and has served on the Board of Directors for ten years. She is committed to the organization and bringing folk music to the community.

Kathy resides in Moorpark, but originally hails from Indiana. Kathy's love of music began in junior high school when she took up the guitar. She began playing mandolin in 1989 and has studied with Tom Corbett and Dawn Watson. Kathy is a member of the band KG with Gary Lynch and Patty Quintana. Their band plays locally in the Southern California area.

Kathy was a founding member of BASC (Bluegrass Association of Southern California) and originated their "Home Away From Home" committee, opening up her home to bands traveling in the Southern California area. She assisted behind the scenes at many of the Southern California concert series, the Topanga Banjo•Fiddle Contest, and Bluegrass festivals. Kathy and her husband Gary are the promoters of the Camarillo Café Concert Series (www.CamarilloCafé.com) which is held on the third Friday in January, March, May, July, September, and November at the Camarillo Community Center.

2013

She started dancing to the ice cream truck at two and quickly progressed to dancing at the Westward Ho Hotel in Phoenix by the age of four. Between then and now she sang folk music in coffee houses while at University of Arizona and performed on stage as an actor/dancer/singer. In the '60s she was lead singer in a group called The Chataqua Circuit with a sound of Manhattan Transfer meets Fleetwood Mac under the tutelage of David Geffen. The group broke up and Ms. Scott then started a career as a motion picture/television/stage actress and also worked as an actress/dancer/singer on The Dean Martin Show, which paid for court reporting school. She runs a court reporting agency by day and sings in a duo, Sugar Magnolia, around Southern California, as well as other gigs across the country, mostly Arizona, Tennessee and Louisiana. She is a member of Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and a recent proud member of the Academy of Country Music.

Donna Leigh Scott

Director

2012

Sandy Layne

Director

Storming out of West Texas like a "dust devil", Sandy Layne ended up in Southern California playing guitar and bass in coffee houses, honky-tonks, concert halls and on road tours. All the while singing folk, country, 50's rock & roll and some standards. As a bass player she has performed in some of the largest country music venues in Southern California with award winning musicians Al Bruno, Archie Francis, Guitar Hall of Famer-J.D. Maness, Red Rhodes, and the Crawfish Band (led by Leo Eiffert, Jr.). Sandy is long time member of the Academy of Country Music and has worked as a committee member on the Award Show and Annual Golf Tournament for many years. She joined Songmakers in July,1998 at Patty Quintana's first hoot. Part of a duo "Sugar Magnolia," and the Topanga award-winning group "Fair Sister," with other Songmakers Ann, Maureen, Ruth, Louise and Leigh.

2013

Jan Sherman

Director

I was born in Oklahoma, and lived there till I was 23. During that time I worked for a car rental agency and for a Folk music house. When I moved to Dallas, Texas , I went to radio school and got my 3^rd class license. I went to work for KCWM Radio in the Ft. Worth Dallas area. My show was 6 hrs. a day, 6 days a week and was sponsored by Panther Hall, which was the largest country music hall in the Southwest. During this time I met most all of the big name country stars and did interviews on many them. My show was piped into Six Flags over Texas and the Navy Base. To say it was a great job would be putting it mildly. I also was a Disc Jockey in San Angelo and in Okla. City.

I came to California in 1976. Then I bought a 2 Ton Step Van and became an Antique Dealer. I drove to Tennessee, Indiana, and Illinois buying truckloads of antiques, mainly early furniture and oak. I Then re-finished and fixed them and sold them. I still do some buying and selling, but not much, as antiques are not a hot item now.
Now I have the Thousand Oaks Hoot. I love getting back to the music, and the wonderful talented people who come to my house. Thanks to all of you who make it so much fun. I truly love your music and thank you for letting me be a part of it. Special Thanks to Kathy and Gary who lead my Hoot and to TJ for all his help.

2013

I was first a member of Songmakers when I was about 10 years old or, at least, I used to accompany my 16 year old brother to hoots, sometimes singing with him, but already singing folk music and playing guitar at different hoots and picnics myself. From then until now, I've never stopped singing a whole range of different musical styles. I received my B.A. from CSUN in Theater with an emphasis on musical. I found my way back to Songmakers about three years ago!

Because of my voice acting experience, I was recruited (almost 30 years ago!) to host a Sunday morning Jewish music program called "L'Chayim" on KCSN. From there, I moved to Northern California, where I worked on the air as a rock DJ in Eureka (KATA) and in Napa (KVYN). I moved back to the SFV and continued work as a DJ, first for the late KWNK in Simi Valley, then for KLAC, during it's last hurrah as Los Angeles' premiere country music station.

When KLAC went satellite, I ended up at Shadow Traffic and have been doing traffic on and off for KFWB, SIRIUS-XM and a variety of other southland radio stations ever since. In the mid- 90s, I came back to KCSN and worked on air as a fill-in for the classical format. Then, I returned to KCSN in 2007 to host classical music until that station automated in 2009.

In 2001, shedding much blood (well, formaldehyde), sweat and tears, I earned my degree as a Doctor of Chiropractic. Concurrent with all of the above, I have served as the Cantor and spiritual leader of Temple Beth Torah of the San Fernando Valley for the past 24 years. I continue in that position today. I am also a licensed wedding officiant.

I have served on the boards of the North Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, The Holistic Chamber of Commerce, The Valley Professionals Network, J-Net, the Sweet Charities, and the Kiwanis Club of Northridge.

Sharone Rosen

Director

2014